Pneumatically-operated massage apparatus.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

T. A. MoGALL. PNBUMATIGALLY OPERATED MASSAG E APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY31 1906. RENEWED JAN. 15, 1908.

To all whorn it may concern:

THOMAS A. McCALL,'OF XENIA, OHIO.

PNEUMATICALLY-OPERATED MASSAGE APPARATUS;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Application filed May 31, 1906, Serial No. 319,600. Renewed January 15, 1908. Serial No. 410,996.

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. MoCALL, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Xenia, in the county of Greene and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatically- Operated 6 Apparatus; and Ido hereby declare the fo lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap- Efrtains to make and use the same, reference ing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked'thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pneumatically 0 erated massage apparatus, and the object 0 the invention is to produce a device of this nature, whereby a series of rapid vibrations may be imparted throu h a suitable cup, and also in the provision of means whereby a constant vacuum force may be exerted by connection with a vacuum storage tank.

The invention consists further in various details of construction and combinations and arran ements of parts which will be hereinafter lly described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, and in which drawings igure 1 is a top plan view of my apparatus, parts being shown in section. F ig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 00-311 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through one of the massage cups, and Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view through a modified form of cup. 7

Reference now being had to the details of the drawin s by letter, A designates a casing having a inged cover A, and mounted within said casing is a standard B supporting a cylinder B, one end of the cylinder having a pi e C communicating therewith, which ipe eads through one end of the casing and lies a hollow handle D connected therewith, which handle has a contracted end which is threaded, as at D, and over which the cup E is adapterl to be fastened, a detail view of said cup and connection being clearly shown 1n Fig. 4 of the drawings. It will be noted that a disk (1 is adapted to rest upon a shoulder formed in said cup and against which the contracted end of the handle is adapted to bear. Said disk comprises a very fine mesh screen for the purpose of preventing dust or other foreign matter entering the pipe and cylinder; Mountedwithin said cylinder is a stern G having two pistons H and H, one secured to each end of said piston stem, and J designates a pin fixed centrally to said stem and passing through elongated slots formed at ositions diametrically opposite in said cylin er. It will be understood that said pistons move freely within the cylinder, with a sufficient space intervening between the circumferences thereof and the inner surface of the cylinder, so as to allow the air which is drawn into the cylinder through the pipe C, on the inner throw of the piston, to escape on the outward or return throw of the piston adjacent toethe pipe C, by said air passing about the circumference of the piston and to the atmos here throu h the slots in which the pin (l works. The air which is drawn into the cylinder from the chamber N is allowed to escape in the same manner about the piston adjacent to the exit end of the cylinder to which the pipe 1" is connected.

K designates a flap valve secured to the inner surface of one end of the cylinder and adapted to close over the opening" into the tube or pipe C, and a pipe N leads from the opposite end of the cylinder and communicates with said chamber 1%- A pipe M leads from the chamber LT throu h the wall of the casing, and a cup M is tied to one end thereof, the end of the cup being provided with a perforated diaphragm 0. It will be understood that when an obstruction is placed over the mouth of said cup, no air can be drawn into said'chamber N and as the air already contained therein is drawn out through the pipe )3, a vacuum will be caused in the chamber.

In the present instancef l have shown a coin controlled apparatus .Tor starting my massage apparatus, which Consists of a slide P upon which the coin is placed and which tion to the gear wheel I to which the pitman' J -is ecccntrically pivoted, is adapted to drive said pitman which has forked ends,'the arms of which are connected to the ends of the pin J which project through oppositely disposed slots in the cylinder.

The operation of my apparatus will be understood, when taken in connection withthe drawings, and is as follows. V Tnen it is de sired to start the motor, a coin is pushed by the plate P against the switch, causing the same to close the circuit, which will start the apparatus. As the motor operates, the pistons within the cylinder will he actuated, thereby causing a succession of rapid vibrations in one massage cup E, by the valve K closing uponthe movement of the piston -H toward said Valve, and by the openingor" the valve upon the movement of the piston in the opposite direction. This movement, it will he noted, alternately closes and opens communication with the vacuum end of the cylinder which causes the rapid vibrations as the cup is held against an object while a constant vacuum force may he obtained from the cup M which communicates With the vacuum tank M.

The cups may be applied to various parts of the body of a person and the vihratingeb feet or the effect of the suction imparted-to the body of a person.

What I claim is 1. A pneumatic massage apparatus coniprising a casing, a cylinder mounted therein, a piston stem, a plurality of pistons mounted upon said stein,.means outside the cylinder for actuat' said stem, pipes communicating with the ends of said cylinder, and a suction cupconnected to one of said pipes, as set forth:

senses A pneumatic massage apparatus com;

prising a casing, a cylinder mounted therein, 46

-- a piston stem, a plurality of pistons mounted upon said stem, means outside the cylinder for actuating sa d stem, pipes communicating with the ends of said cylinder, a suction cup connected to one of said pipes, a chamber communicating with one of said pipes, and a suction cup with a pipe leading therefrom to said chamber, as set forth.

3. A pneumatic massage apparatus comprising a casing, a cylinder mounted therein, '50

4. A pneumatic massage apparatus comprising a casing, a cylinder mounted therein, a piston stem mounted within said cylinder, pistons secured to said stem, a Valve-regw lated pipe opening through one end of the cylinder and through the casing, a hollow handle secured to said pipe, a suction cup secured to the end of said handle, and a screen disk seated upon a shoulder in said cup and against which the handle is adapted to bear,

v as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS A. MoOALL. Witnesses 1 Y A. L. Housn,

FRANKLIN H. Housn. 

